


risk

by milkhouse



Category: Start-Up (Korea TV)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, F/M, One-Shot, Timeskip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:13:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27616070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkhouse/pseuds/milkhouse
Summary: Two years after Samsan Tech is finally a household name in the industry, Injae meets Jipyeong at a tent bar by the Han River. It’s purely coincidental, but he decides to approach her first.
Relationships: Han Jipyeong/Won Injae
Comments: 8
Kudos: 65





	risk

It’s a long day after work. Jipyeong worked overtime, but made his way to a tent bar to have some drinks by himself before relaxing in the park. Resting on a picnic blanket he set on some grass became a sort of ritual for him now, he couldn’t get his ancestors to fix his life, but he could rest.

He could see the stars too, and remembering how little he was compared to the universe, was enough comfort when he was hindered by so many problems.

Barely a sip of soju in, he sees a familiar figure enter the tent bar, taking a seat adjacent to his. Jipyeong blinks a few times, wondering if he was already drunk.

He never expected to see Won Injae, or Seo Injae as she told others to call her now.

Barely keeping in touch with anyone, he knew that she was on good terms with her family again, though he couldn’t help but wonder if they truly forgave each other completely.

It seems like she notices him too, after she orders some food. She doesn’t avoid his gaze, and he’s thankful for that. Instead, her eyes are affixed on his hands. They compel him to approach her first, so he does exactly that.

They end up sharing a table, much to the delight of the storeowner. She offers him some of her ramyeon. He’s shocked to even see her eat something like that. Her smile is rueful when she mentions that she started eating halmeoni’s corn dogs too, albeit late. 

Jipyeong is relieved to find out that halmeoni’s okay. He feels guilty for cutting off everyone in general—on social media for months now. Genuine happiness was what he had in his heart for his friends, seriously, but the stress from Yongsan had gotten to him, making him reevaluate his life choices.

The lack of communication gave him time to fix himself, and he could proudly say that he had never felt this content before. Injae kindly commends him for that, saying that she could use the same break.

One hour of talking leads to another, and another, and suddenly it’s midnight and they’re walking together.

Jipyeong has the picnic blanket in his hand. He doesn’t realize that they haven’t brought up Dalmi or Dosan even once this entire night. Injae is riddled by this, but wants to keep him company.

When Jipyeong finally lies down, she follows suit. There’s a respectable distance between them but it bothers her. She doesn’t quite like it. “Why are we even here—together?” Injae remarks. Her tone is feisty, but Jipyeong grins. He knows she didn’t intend to hurt him, her words just usually sounded like they were laced with passive aggressiveness.

Jipyeong sighs as he unfolds the blanket, but gives it to Injae instead. He settles down and wraps his arms around himself as a form of defense from the cold.

He turns to face her, she’s never looked more gentle, staring at the stars like this. “It feels wrong, doesn’t it?” she asks, staring at the river as she speaks. Her hair is longer now, long enough to tie. It’s quite windy, and it’s subtly blowing in her face, but the sight is breathtaking.

Dalmi is finally on his mind, as he wonders why Injae would find it weird. Oh, but why? He doesn’t understand. His feelings for her faded away. Entirely. 

Perhaps it was because they were siblings? Definitely. Jipyeong ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “It makes me more of an asshole, right?” she finally looks at him.

“You were never one. I think you were just a coward.” there is no pity on her face, and he’s thankful for that.

He laughs though. Countless mistakes were made in his life, but he’d take them back, or wanted to be better somehow. “Just? Being that cost me a lot.” 

“Your happiness?” Injae questions.

She obviously knew what he lost. They weren’t talking about Dalmi at this point.

“Yes,” he asserts her inference anyway. She was right. Much to his astonishment, he doesn’t feel melancholic when he affirms his sorrow.

He’s surprised he doesn’t want to leave. Warmth emanates from her aura, and he’s certain it isn’t the soju that’s making his head buzz.

“But you probably wouldn’t be here right now if…” she starts, and he wants nothing more than her to stop. He’s over Dalmi, but he will never get over the pain of being an orphan, no matter how much richer he will be. He can learn to live despite the pain though.

“We wouldn’t be here if things had gone the other way.” Jipyeong completes the thought for them both. Injae silently inches closer towards his body, throwing the blanket over them both. 

Jipyeong thinks his heart could burst. He was conflicted when he slowly processed that he never felt like this before with Dalmi. Their limbs touch with uncertainty, as they begin to huddle for warmth.

He longed to comfort her, but she never longed to comfort him in the same way. But for some reason he things his ancestors could never conjure, Injae was now in his arms. They spoke no words as she covered their bodies with the thick blanket she’d kept for herself earlier.

Here she was, vulnerable in his arms when they hadn’t seen each other in years, yet Jipyeong has never gotten proper counsel from anyone like he just did from Injae, in his entire life.

When the mood between them shifts, and he sees her in a different light, she freezes when he leans in. He apologizes. He understands.

She tells him to revoke his apology. “I’ve changed.” she softly tells him.

Her words are a disclaimer—she doesn’t want him to associate her with her past self. She’s disgusted with the person she used to be, and yet in spite of her learning and changing her ways, people always had a way to discredit her efforts and made it seem like her heart was nonexistent.

She could care for others, and she did. She wanted to.

“I know.” he replies reassuringly. Jipyeong wishes she would never feel the need to tell people about this. Everything about her now, indicated no sign of Won Injae. Her compassion was back, because it was inherent to her. He knows it is. 

He can’t help but imagine her hardships, of trying to prove to others that she reformed. All her gestures now were so calculated now, not in the way she used to behave in order to meet her personal needs, but to show the other how much they mattered to her.

Her heartbeat quickens when she realizes that he hasn’t moved away yet. He wants this. He wants her. He may even want her half as much as she wants him, wants this.

Needs this.

Needs him.

She gradually squeezes her eyes shut, and Jipyeong’s lips are on hers, after an eternity. The kiss is chaste, only lasting for a few seconds, but he’s intoxicating enough to leave her lightheaded.

She wants more.

Needs more.

But she pulls away first, stammering as she begins to explain herself again. “I’m still afraid. I’m okay with Dalmi now, but I don’t think they’d be okay with us… Whatever we are.” Jipyeong wipes a tear off her face, and she could melt at this very moment.

He holds her hand as they both sit down, and puts his jacket onto her back. She didn’t ask him to. 

Her head finds its way on his shoulder, when he speaks again. “Dalmi wouldn’t mind. But I think it’s time for us to stop caring about what other people think.” she simply nods in response. It really was time for that, she figured.

“The burn rate of overthinking will kill us in no time if we don’t sto–“ he’s so stupid, it’s cute, always knowing the right thing to say, but there’s another burn rate that’s gonna be the end of Injae if she doesn’t act on it now.

Injae pulls him in by the collar, the kiss is more fiery this time, melting the cold around them as they’re enraptured by the heat shared by them and only them. His hands ghost above her body, but she grabs his wrist, setting it on her waist. He squeezes it to the curve of his palm, and they move together in the night, hands roaming each other’s bodies for the first time.

They’re reckless enough to rest their overnight, but Jipyeong wakes up early to cover her sleeping face with an umbrella so that people can’t see her. The pair instantly slept in each other’s arms after exchanging a few more kisses.

Jipyeong was in his 30s, but never thought he would do something like that, something that made his heart soar so greatly.

When Injae wakes up, there’s a smile on her face, because she knows it isn’t the figment of her imagination.

She never thought she would do something like this either, but her smile never dazzled more when Jipyeong held her hand and helped her stand up from the mat.

Slowly but surely, they allow themselves to let go and live freely, as they should’ve years ago.

Then again, perhaps they were resigned to cease suppress their true selves, only at this moment, for a reason.

**Author's Note:**

> If you’re interested in Start-up fics, contact me via [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/cherryrouIette) (check out my pinned tweet or dm me!) funds go to the victims of Typhoon Ulysses!


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